The inventive concepts relate to methods of generating a three-dimensional process window qualification. More particularly, the inventive concepts relate to methods of generating a three-dimensional process window qualification utilizing a process that considers the effects of underlying structures in accordance with their positions in or on a substrate.
With ever-increasing integration of semiconductor devices, as the cell size continues to decrease, the formation of defect-free, or normal, patterns becomes increasingly difficult. Along with that, the detection of defects that are present as a result of formation becomes more and more challenging. In the formation of normal patterns, accurate evaluation of a pattern process window qualification (PWQ), that is, a process condition margin for forming the normal patterns using a photolithography process, is needed. Generally, the PWQ may be evaluated by forming photoresist patterns by isolating two-dimensional photolithography conditions including parameters such as exposing focus and exposing time, and then detecting defects generated in each of the photoresist patterns. With increased integration of semiconductor devices, this approach is becoming increasingly limited in its ability to accurately perform PWQ.